Yuhua Temple was very popular, and many horse-drawn carriages were parked in front of the temple.

He Yan and Xiao Jue got off the carriage, and Fei Nu hurried the carriage to wait on the side. Neither of them brought maids or servants with them, and they were both eye-catching, so people who came in and out to worship Buddha couldn't help but take a few more glances. Some people who didn't know them just looked at them, and some officials' families who knew them guessed He Yan's identity after recognizing Xiao Jue, but they didn't dare to discuss anything in front of him, and avoided him from a distance.

The rules for worshipping Buddha were simple. Ordinary families donated incense, oil, rice and grain, while wealthy families donated silver. The Xiao family had plenty of silver, and Fei Nu had prepared it long ago. After receiving incense from the monks, they would enter the temple and kneel down to worship.

Xiao Jue did not go in.

He Yan asked him why he didn't go in, and he just said, "I don't believe in Buddhism."

He Yan: “…”

We have already walked to the front of the mountain gate. He said that I don't believe in Buddhism in other people's territory. This person is really arrogant and lawless. However, in this matter, if you believe, you will believe, and if you don't believe, you won't believe. You can't force Xiao Jue to worship Buddha. She let Xiao Jue stay outside and went into the temple herself.

He Yan knelt down on the cushion. The golden Buddha statue that she had fabricated for the wealthy businessman looked down at all living beings with compassion. She bowed devoutly and thought to herself, “I don’t ask for anything else. I just hope that those who were harmed by He Rufei and who were burdened by me can reincarnate sooner and live a safe and healthy life in the next life without any disaster or misfortune.”

After burning incense and lighting the eternal lamp, He Yan left the palace. Xiao Jue was waiting for her in front of the palace gate. When he saw her come out, he asked casually, "What wish did you make?"

"I hope there will be no more wars in the world," He Yan put his hands together and pretended to be serious, "I hope there will be peace and prosperity, so you and I can relax a little."

This is not false. The issue of the Wutuo people has not been completely resolved. I heard that there is still an endless debate in the court about whether to fight or to make peace, and there is still no result.

After donating incense money and worshipping Buddha, you can also have a vegetarian meal in the temple. The vegetarian meal in Yuhua Temple is also excellent, but when He Yan came last time, he was blind and heartbroken, and even the delicacies were tasteless. He had long forgotten what it tasted like. Now that he remembered it, he actually had some expectations.

To get to the guesthouse for vegetarian meals, you have to pass by the ancient tree behind Yuhua Temple. When you pass by the ancient tree, you can see a huge ancient tree rooted beside the mountain temple. The branches are as vast as clouds. The original green is lush, but it is covered with layers of red. When you get closer, you can see that the red on it is all red ribbons. There are words written on the red ribbons, which are probably the wishes of the writer. It is said that if you hang your wishes on the ancient tree, the ancient tree will show its power.

He Yan stopped involuntarily when she thought of the time when she had hung red silk here.

"This ancient tree is very spiritual." She said to Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue said leisurely: "Are you going to make up a story again?"

"No, it really works." He Yan smiled and thought, in her previous life, she hung a wish on the tree, hoping to see the moon again. When she wrote this line on the red paper, she felt that she was just dreaming. Not to mention the moon, her eyes could see the light again, just this point, it sounded incredible.

However, at this impossible moment, even after her death, she was able to be reborn from despair and really saw the "moon" again.

"When I have more money in the future," He Yan said, "I will buy a lot of fertilizer and use it to irrigate this ancient tree to show my gratitude and sincerity."

Xiao Jue choked and said, "Your sincerity is really unique."

The guesthouse of Yuhua Temple is in front of the courtyard where the monks live. Families that donate less eat together, while families that donate more have their own courtyards, with one room per family, fewer people, and a more elegant environment.

Although she was somewhat speechless about this kind of discrimination, it was a good thing that there were fewer people now. He Yan didn't want to be secretly watched by everyone while she was eating vegetarian food. Now, because of the marriage gift from Emperor Wenxuan, she and Xiao Jue appeared in front of the world, which required great courage. Even though she was a celebrity in the past, she had a mask to cover her face at least. Now she was not covered at all, in broad daylight, as if she was a white peacock brought from a foreign country by a sea merchant. Everyone wanted to see and talk about it.

After they sat down in the guesthouse, a monk in green robes brought many plates of vegetarian food. It was indeed very rich, including steamed white jade Buddha's hand, sweet and sour bitter melon, steamed winter melon with wild pepper, purple potato cakes, fairy tofu... It was much colder on the mountain than at the foot of the mountain. After rushing on the mountain road for a whole morning, they were already hungry. Now that the hot vegetarian food was in front of them, He Yan couldn't help but whet his appetite. He gave Xiao Jue a pair of chopsticks and said, "The sesame oil money was not given in vain... Governor, if you are not full, can I have another portion?"

Xiao Jue: “…”

He said, "Whatever you want."

He Yan became impolite. She ate lavishly. In comparison, Xiao Jue's eating manner was much more gentle and elegant. Not long after they started eating, there was a knock on the door of the guesthouse, and a monk led two people in.

For a wealthy family like theirs, the guest house for dining is small and exquisite, usually enough for one person. However, the weather is good today and it is Mid-Autumn Festival, so there are many pilgrims coming to Yuhua Temple to burn incense. Probably there is no room for them, so they can only squeeze in with Xiao Jue and the others.

Xiao Jue frowned slightly and was about to speak when He Yan said, "It's okay, let them in. I eat very quickly and it won't be a problem."

She had finally gained some fame in Shuojing City, and had never formally fought with He Ru. She didn't want to be accused of being domineering and rude and then be handed over to others.

Xiao Jue thought about it and said nothing.

The two people brought in by the monks were two women. One was older, the other was younger. He Yan only glanced at them briefly, but when he saw the older woman's face, his heart skipped a beat and he lost control of himself, dropping the chopsticks in his hand to the ground.

He Yan hurriedly leaned over to pick it up, hiding the shock on his face.

The noise also attracted the attention of the two people who came in. The two women stopped and looked at He Yan. He Yan just picked up the chopsticks, and the monk came over and said, "Please wait a moment, donor. I will go get you a clean pair."

Before He Yan could say anything, the young woman had already seen Xiao Jue beside He Yan and blurted out, "General Feng Yun!"

He Yan looked at Xiao Jue subconsciously. Xiao Jue frowned slightly, seeming unhappy.

He Xinying was very surprised. She didn't expect to see Xiao Jue here after going up the mountain. To be honest, she had only seen Xiao Jue once. Once, she went shopping with a friend. She saw a group of people riding horses through the street. Pedestrians and carriages on the roadside all gave way. The man in the lead was handsome and outstanding. At that time, her friend told her: That was General Feng Yun of the Wei Dynasty.

Perhaps it was because the man was so handsome and left such a distinct impression on people, so when she saw Xiao Jue, he overlapped with the shadow in her memory.

But everyone knows that this Governor Xiao has a bad temper. For a moment, He Xinying supported Madam He Er, not knowing whether to advance or retreat. She was afraid that she would offend this ruthless Governor if she was not careful.

However, Madam He Er didn't care about these things. She just pulled He Xinying inside and sat down at the table next to He Yan and the others.

He Xinying looked at Xiao Jue curiously. There were many rumors about this Governor Xiao, but one rumor never changed, that he was not interested in women. However, this rumor was broken at the celebration banquet a few days ago. His Majesty personally arranged a marriage for him with a woman, and Xiao Jue's protection and deep affection for the woman in front of all the civil and military officials in the hall reached the ears of the people of Shuojing, and many girls' dreams of being married were shattered overnight.

Xu Zhiheng was not in a good mood the day he came back from the celebration banquet, so he did not tell He Xinying about these things. Therefore, these things were not spread to the whole mansion until the maid who was shopping for the mansion heard about it on the street the next day. Speaking of which, Xiao Jue's fiancée was also an extraordinary woman. She dared to dress up as a man and kill Wu Tuo people on the battlefield, and became the first female marquis of Wei, Wu'an Marquis.

The most coincidental thing is that this Marquis Wu'an has the same name and surname as her deceased sister, Grandma Xu who died earlier due to illness, and is also called He Yan.

But her elder sister He Yan was a weak person who had to live on the farm for many years and take medicine every day. Not to mention going to the battlefield to kill Wu Tuo people, she would even have to gasp for breath after walking a few steps. So although they had the same name, their personalities were very different.

He Xinying looked at the woman beside Xiao Jue. The woman was also young and beautiful, with a heroic look between her brows. He Xinying guessed that the person who could make the aloof Governor Xiao so close to her was not the eldest grandmother of the Xiao family, but his "dream woman" fiancée, He Yan, Marquis of Wu'an.

When He Xinying was looking at him, He Yan just lowered his head and pretended to eat seriously, but his mind was full of thoughts. Several times he couldn't help but look at the person facing him - Madam He Er.

That was her biological mother.

He Yan didn't have a very deep impression of He Er Madam. Compared to He Yuanliang, He Er Madam didn't like to go out much. On weekdays, she would stay in her own courtyard except during festivals. Or maybe it was because she was soft-hearted, and He Da Madam was afraid of something going wrong. He Yan could often see He Yuanliang, but rarely had the chance to see He Er Madam. But since He Yan knew his true identity, he often wanted to see what kind of person his biological mother was. He vaguely felt that she was a very quiet and gentle woman, and sometimes seemed a little dull.

He Yuanliang always had a smiling face, which made him very popular with women. He also had several concubines living in the second room, and some of them gave birth to illegitimate children. In terms of being favored, He Er Madam was definitely not the one that He Yuanliang liked the most, but He Yuanliang did not neglect He Er Madam and never did anything to favor his concubine over his wife. At least before He Yan joined the army in his previous life, He Er Madam lived a good life in the mansion.

One year, during a family dinner, He Yan sat at the same table with Madam He Er. She was not very old at the time, just ten years old, and sat opposite Madam He Er. Perhaps because she was too curious, she looked up at Madam He Er more often. After that, He Yan and Madam He Er did not sit at the same table at subsequent family dinners.

She had never expected to meet her biological mother here without any warning. Even though she hated the He family and had no feelings for them, when facing the Second Madam of He, He Yan's mood was not as indifferent as it seemed on the surface.

He Xinying carefully pulled Madam He's second hand and whispered, "The person opposite is General Feng Yun, Commander Xiao. The one next to him is most likely Miss He Yan, Marquis of Wu'an, whom His Majesty arranged to marry a few days ago."

As soon as these words were spoken, Mrs. He paused in her chopstick holding motion and looked towards the table opposite.

Now the news of Xiao Huaijin's arranged marriage was known to the whole of Shuojing. From high officials to common people, even beggars on the street knew that his fiancée was called He Yan. It was impossible for Madam He Er not to have heard of it. She was shocked to hear that someone had the same name as her dead daughter.

On the other side, Xiao Jue noticed He Yan's sudden silence and asked her, "Why don't you say anything?"

Before the mother and daughter came, she chattered non-stop, but after they came, she stopped talking. It didn't matter if she was recognized. In the past, He Yan had never been the type to act based on other people's expressions.

Afraid that Xiao Jue would notice something, He Yan smiled and found a random topic to talk about, "Commander-in-chief, is it really okay for me to keep the black jade you gave me here?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I just think it's a little too expensive." He Yan stuffed a bite of potato cake into his mouth, staring at the table, not looking at the other two people in the room, "But your parents really knew how to name you. Jue means double jade. It's very appropriate that the Queen Mother gave you double-colored jade."

Xiao Jue smiled and said, "Your name is not bad either."

He Yan thought about it and moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing and lowered his head to eat.

Madam He Er stared at He Yan's movements. He Yan loved sweets, and always picked up the sweets first when eating. Although she was not very polite and reserved, she was very frugal and would not leave a single grain of rice behind. If she encountered a dish she didn't like, she would not throw it away, but would just pause for a moment, as if to build up some courage for herself, and then eat it all in one gulp, never touching that dish again.

As Madam He Er watched, her expression gradually changed. Her previously empty and numb eyes now became more and more excited, as if she was about to hold back her tears.

Xiao Jue had his back to Madam He Er and the others, so he didn't see Madam He Er's unusual behavior. He Yan saw it, but pretended not to know and changed the subject to talk to Xiao Jue.

He Xinying asked in a low voice: "Mom, why don't you eat?"

The girl seemed to have sensed something and looked over here. Madam He Er quickly lowered her head, picked up the chopsticks and ate a mouthful of rice. No one saw a tear fall into the bowl.

During this meal, except for Xiao Jue and He Xinying, Madam He and He Yan all had their own thoughts. He Yan and his friends came earlier and ate faster. After finishing the meal, He Yan put down his chopsticks. Xiao Jue had already finished eating, and when she did so, he said, "Let's go."

He Yan nodded, and the two of them walked out together.

Not long after I walked, I suddenly heard a voice behind me: "...Miss, please stay!"

He Yan looked back and saw He Er Madam holding up her skirt and jogging towards her. Behind her, He Xinying was also a little surprised, as if she had not expected her mother to do such a thing. He Er Madam was not in good health, and she was panting after running a few steps. Among the wives of officials, her behavior was already a little rude. But He Er Madam did not care about it and walked over here.

Xiao Jue frowned: "Who?"

"I am... the wife of the second branch of the He family in Beijing." The second wife of He glanced at Xiao Jue. The young man's expression was cold, which made her feel a little timid. Even so, she still stared at He Yan, unwilling to look away for a moment.

He Yan nodded and smiled: "Second Madam He."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He Xinying also rushed over, secretly pulling on Madam He's sleeve, with some anger in her eyes. As soon as He Yan left, they hadn't finished their meal yet. He Xinying was about to talk to Madam He about these two people, when she suddenly stood up with determination and chased after him.

Everything happened so fast that she didn't have time to stop it. But He Xinying knew that she should not provoke the Right Army Commander for no reason. Among the officials in Shuojing City, every family knew that Xiao Huaijin was not someone to be trifled with. If he was investigated, she would not cause trouble for the He family.

"What's the matter, madam?" He Yan asked politely.

Madam He Er looked at her, and it was as if she was looking at someone else through her. She spoke softly, as if she was afraid of disturbing the girl in front of her, or as if she was coaxing her three-year-old daughter, "Your name... is He Yan?"

He Yan looked at the woman in front of him.

In her memory, the Second Madam He was still very young. Unlike the strict and stern First Madam He, the Second Madam He had a gentle and kind face, and it was obvious that she was a good-natured person. She had also seen her sister He Xinying break a very valuable vase. Not only did the Second Madam He not get angry, she even held He Xinying in her arms to see if her hands were scratched by the vase fragments.

He Yan was very jealous at that time, and felt that his biological mother was indeed better than his "mother".

Later, she went to war and returned home, becoming "He Yan" again. Madam He Er came to visit her several times. But they had missed each other for too many years, and even when they sat in the same room, they felt awkward and alienated. On the day of the wedding, Madam He Er came to see her off. He Yan was sitting in the room, and when Madam He Er covered her head with the veil, she said something.

She held He Yan's hand and said slowly, "Ah He, you must be well in the future."

These words made He Yan's eyes moisten under the veil.

Unfortunately, she did not even achieve her simple wish of being “well” in the end. Even when she became blind in the Xu family, Mrs. He Er never came to see her once because she was “ill”.

The woman in front of him had aged a lot, no longer the young person she remembered. He Yan could even see some gray hair between her temples.

She is old.

He Xinying looked at Xiao Jue, feeling nervous, and quickly explained to He Yan: "I'm sorry, Miss He, it's because you have the same name as my sister, so my mother..."

She didn't know how to continue. If she said that He Yan had the same name as a dead person, who knew if the female marquis would find it unlucky and feel unhappy.

Madam He Er looked at He Yan and asked tremblingly, "Miss He... why are you called He Yan?"

This question was really out of context. He Yan stared at her for a moment, then smiled nonchalantly and answered casually in a relaxed tone, "Who knows? How could an ordinary girl be named 'Yan'? The rivers are clear and the seas are peaceful. Maybe my parents knew when I was born that I would have to go to the battlefield to protect the people. If so, this name is quite different from that of ordinary people."

There was some self-deprecation in her words.

"The river is clear and the sea is peaceful" sounds like a prosperous and peaceful time, but when she went to the battlefield, her blood relatives not only did not feel sorry for her, but also wanted to squeeze out every last bit of her value. It was really disheartening. He Yan thought that her desire for family affection had been worn out when she was very young. Without hope, she would not be too sad when she was disappointed. Now that she was in another He family, she received the warmth she had never had before. When she met the second wife of He, all the complaints and grievances that were deliberately buried deep in her heart came out.

After he finished speaking, He Xinying didn't realize anything, but Madam He's expression suddenly changed. The color drained away from her face in an instant, and she almost staggered and fell down.

He Yan nodded to them, "If everything is fine, we'll leave first." She gently tugged at the corner of Xiao Jue's clothes and walked forward.

He Xinying, who was behind them, waited until the two of them were far away before she complained in a low voice, "Mom, what's wrong with you? You suddenly rushed out and scared me. You know what kind of person Commander Xiao is. Fortunately, they didn't make any plans just now. If they were angry, my eldest brother and my husband might not be able to do anything... Mom, mom?"

He Xinying suddenly stopped talking because she saw the woman in front of her. A big tear welled up in her eye, and the tears flowed across the corners of her eyes, which were already wrinkled, like cold dew in the middle of the night, carrying broken sorrow.

He Xinying knew that Madam He was thinking of her deceased elder sister. After He Yan's death, her mother's health had been poor. The doctor always said that she would be fine after some recuperation, but He Xinying knew that this was a mental illness. Her mother was always thinking about her elder sister's death, which was why she was like this.

But... there were things she didn't understand. She had always thought her mother was always indifferent to her elder sister, probably because He Yan had been recuperating at the farm and had never been close to her mother at home, so after a long time, it was difficult for her to have the same feelings as herself. But after He Yan's death, her mother was so sad that she realized that she was not heartless.

But if that was the case, why did he treat her so distant and indifferent in the first place?

And his own father, He Yuanliang, was very nice to everyone, always smiling and looking very friendly, but he did not show that much sadness about He Yan's death.

All in all, He Yan seemed to be a subtle presence in the He family, and He Yan's death finally exposed the weirdness of those seemingly normal things. She was full of questions, but no one could answer them for her.

No one would answer her.

He Xinying held the hand of He Er Madam, but said nothing in the end. She wiped the tears from her mother's eyes with a handkerchief and whispered, "Mom, let's go back."

－－－－－－－A side note－－－－－－－

Passionate second update ∠ (? "∠)＿